Writers: Multiple
Directors: Multiple
Cast: Rino Romano, Alastair Duncan, Kevin Michael Richardson, Danielle Judovits, Evan Sabara, Tom Kenny, Mitch Peliggi, Clancy Brown, Gina Gershon, Robert Englund, Louis Gossett Jr., Hynden Walch, James Remar, Dorian Harewood, Dave Foley
Rating: Not Rated
Studio: Warner Home Video
Release Date: November 20, 2007
I have heard quite a bit of grumbling about The Batman. I never understood why people didn’t like the show. Sure, the first season was weak compared to the second and third, but by the fourth, one of the best Batman cartoons in this day and age has come to fruition. The changes made in the first few seasons paved the way for some really terrific storytelling.
Batman has always been my favorite superhero. I remember watching the cartoons of the 80s, the movies, and even reruns of the old, cheesy television show, which featured Batman legend, Adam West. The cheese effect was what made it so great and yet, I have heard one too many people complain that The Batman is too cheesy to be likeable. I find that it isn’t as cheesy as the original TV series was, and it actually is quite entertaining to watch.
One thing that needs to be remembered and pointed out when discussing the quality of The Batman is that it is a show geared towards children. The biggest complaint about the show seems to be about the drawings and characterizations of the characters on The Batman. These drawings are kid-friendly, in my opinion, and quite cartoon-y. This is what helps to make the show work.
Despite appealing to kids, the show really does seem to have an excellent story and it is one that can be followed and makes sense. That is important in any cartoon. Sure, the Joker looks a little funny, but it also makes him scarier than other incarnations we’ve seen of Joker. Harley Quinn is annoying, but that’s her character. Batman is perfect as he is. The ominous look he gives when cloaked in his cape is scary and foreshadows the type of character Batman is, The Dark Knight….The Foreboding Avenger.
Release Information:
The Batman first aired on the Kids WB on September 11, 2004. The show is now in its fifth season and is doing quite well. While it got off to a rocky start, the show has developed into quite the entertaining cartoon. On February 26, 2006, the first season of The Batman was released by Warner Bros. Home Videos on DVD. Subsequent seasons followed with Season Two released on September 12, 2006 and Season Three on April 10, 2007.
The Batman – The Complete Fourth Season was released by Warner Bros. on November 20, 2007. The DVD is available through online and local retailers in the United States. It is selling on Amazon at the retail price of $14.99. This two disc set comes in a typical, DVD case. It features 13 episodes and a few bonuses.
The Batman – The Complete Fourth Season Plot
The Batman follows the story of a young, Bruce Wayne who has only been Batman for a few years. In The Batman – The Complete Fourth Season, the show starts with the introduction of Batman’s most faithful sidekick, Robin (Evan Sabara). The audience is introduced to young Dick Grayson in the episode entitled “A Matter of Family”. In this episode, Dick is working as a part of the Flying Graysons, an acrobat team he is on with his mother and father. After getting harassed by some local thugs, the Graysons are lucky enough to have Batman intervene. Unfortunately, this just angers the thugs more and they cause a terrible tragedy that leads to the death of Dick’s parents.
Feeling somewhat responsible for not taking the thugs out and seeing parallels to his own childhood, Bruce Wayne (Rino Romano) takes Dick in as his foster/adopted son. He vows to get the justice for Dick he never got for himself. However, this means Dick must spend his time alone, left to think about the parents he lost and yearn for the companionship he wishes he could have with Bruce.
It isn’t long before Dick stumbles upon the bat cave and the secret of who Bruce is. From here, he realizes, he must get justice for himself and for others. By the end of the show, he has transformed into Robin. The poignant part of this episode is that is how his mother described him, during his acrobatic routines. He names himself Robin in her memory and wears the R encrusted outfit (R for Richard) she made him for his acrobatic routines as a costume to fight crime.
There are twelve other episodes on this two-disc set. The episodes are listed below with a little bit of information about each one.
Episode 3.2: “Team Penguin” – Penguin is sick of playing second fiddle to Batman. He decides he’s going to get rid of the Bat once and for all, allowing him to continue on with his thieving ways without fear of going to jail. He rounds up a band of thugs to keep Batman at bay as he wreaks havoc on Gotham. In the meantime, Bat Girl and Robin meet for the first time and tempers flare as jealousy and envy over who is really Batman’s favorite, best sidekick prevents the duo from being friends.
Episode 3.3: “Clayfaces” – Bruce Wayne’s former best friend, Ethan Bennett is back. Bennett’s alter ego, Clayface, has turned himself in, in an attempt to reform and hopefully give himself (as Bennett) a second chance at life. Clayface had burned Batman once before so Bruce isn’t sure he’s buying it. When another Clayface shows up in Gotham, Ethan decides to take matters into his own hands. He’s going to catch Clayface 2 and show Gotham (and Bruce) he’s changed.
Episode 3.4: “The Everywhere Man” – When precious art seems to be stolen, only to be returned to the art museum later, a longtime friend of Bruce Wayne’s is implicated. Not only must the Batman prove his friend is innocent (if he is), he must find out who the Everyman is and how the villain has the ability to replicate as well as seemingly disappear into thin air.
Episode 3.5: “Strange New World” – A deadly toxin that makes everyone act like zombies has been unleashed on Gotham by Professor Hugo Strange. If the antidote is not discovered, then the zombie-like condition could become permanent. With all of his friends and allies seemingly acting like zombies, it is up to the Batman to find that antidote before it’s too late.
Episode 3.6: “The Break Out” – Despite Batman’s capture of the villain Black Mask, there still is a weapon of mass destruction on the loose somewhere in the city. While Batman must find the WMD, Batgirl and Robin must make sure that Black Mask stays in jail, where he belongs. This is further complicated by the evil organization Black Mask runs, which will do anything they can to help their boss escape.
Episode 3.7: “Artifacts” – Mr. Freeze finds a way to make it to the future and terrorize Gotham with no Batman to stop him. It is up to a group of good guys (and gals) from the future to not only find the bat cave but also find a way to get rid of Mr. Freeze once and for all using outdated technology in the cave. This story is done with flashbacks of the Batman’s final battle with Mr. Freeze during a time when the Batman is getting too old to save Gotham.
Episode 3.8: “Two of a Kind” – The Joker wants a new partner in crime and who better than Harley Quinn, the daytime talk show psychologist who just lost her on air gig? With Joker’s help, Harley transforms into one of the most annoying Batman villains to ever exist.
Episode 3.9: “Seconds” – The Batman must stop a criminal who is out for revenge. During his stint in jail, this criminal, who felt he was unfairly punished for a mistake he made in his past, learns how to manipulate time. With the ability to travel back in time every few seconds, the Batman must find out how to defeat him, despite the criminal knowing everything he is going to do, before he does it!
Episode 3.10: “Riddler’s Revenge” – As the Riddler and the Batman are stuck in a metal tanker that’s headed for the bottom of the ocean, the Batman learns about how the Riddler became who he was and what part the Batman played in it all. As the Batman must find a way out before they both drown, he must rely on the villain’s help.
Episode 3.11: “Rumors” – A new villain is in town and ready to clean up the streets of Gotham. Seeking his own form of justice, this mystery villain is capturing all the baddies in town with the plan to kill them all. The Batman must put his feelings for the villains aside and save them so true justice can be served.
Episode 3.12: “The Joining: Part One” – After Robin learns that another person knows that Bruce is the Batman he begins to wonder what else Bruce has been hiding from him. This is part of what pushes Bruce away from Dick, and makes him consider a solo career as a crimefighter again. For the first time, we really begin to see a friendship forming between Batgirl and Robin, after one mistake leads the Batman to question how much danger they are really getting into by helping him. As the Batman refuses to let them help him, he begins to investigate his own company, Wayne Enterprises, as well as a strange Detective who has the ability to shapeshift.
Episode 3.13: “The Joining: Part Two” – After learning about the shady dealings going on at Wayne Enterprises and learning the entire world is in danger, with the help of his Martian friend and his allies (Batgirl, Robin, Alfred, etc.) the Batman must save the world from an alien invasion. However, the Batman is still resisting the procedure of allowing anyone else to help him, so he decides to take an undefeated foe on by himself.
For the most part, the stories presented in the aforementioned episodes were engaging. While Harley Quinn is my least favorite Batman character, even her episode was entertaining. Rino Romano had some huge shoes to fill when taking on this role and despite some reports to the contrary, I think he does a fine job in doing so. While he isn’t the definitive Batman, he definitely holds his own. The rest of the characters are fun to hear with some amazing talent lending their voice to this series. Overall, <em>The Batman</em> is a fun show that shouldn’t be taken too seriously by those who plan to watch it.
Storyline/Plot: 
Replayability:
Acting:
Directing:
Audio/Visual:
The audio is clear and colors are brilliant, showing off the type of animation you’d see if you were watching the original broadcasted episode on television. The episodes were transferred at an aspect ratio of 1.33:1. This is the original format for the show, and the care in which the transfer is done shows as there are no errors or artifacts present.
The sound is equally impressive despite not offering surround sound. The sound is presented in Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo sound, which is typical for a cartoon. Subtitles are available in English and are optional for those who may have a hearing impairment or those who like to read what is being said as they watch a DVD.
Visual:
Audio:
Bonus Features:
There are only a few special features included, but the main feature is worth its weight in gold. Clocking in at just under ten minutes, the featurette, “The Batman: Season 4 Unmasked” presents the most comprehensive behind the scenes cast and crew interviews to date! Other features include two trailers, one for the new “Lego Batman” video game and one for “Shaggy and Scooby Doo Get a Clue”. There is also a trailer at the beginning for “Justice League: New Frontier”, which looks awesome!
Bonus Features:
Bottom Line:
The Batman – The Complete Fourth Season is the best season of this series yet. Both adults and kids can enjoy The Batman. The storylines are well written and executed and the Batman is a hero that kids can really admire. This DVD is highly recommended. It will make a great present in your child’s stocking this holiday season.
Overall Rating:
Technorati Tags: The Batman, The Complete Fourth Season, Cartoon, DC Comics, Kids WB, Bruce Wayne, Dick Grayson, Batgirl, Robin
Written by Dominick Evans - Visit Website
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Dominick is in his late 20s. He lives in Michigan with his life partner, Ashtyn, their 14 year old son Robert, and their Shih-Tzu, Oliver. Dominick is a writer and the head editor for both LI Kids and Literary Illusions. He enjoys composing music and is an aspiring director/screenwriter. In his free time he enjoys spending time with his family, playing and watching sports, playing video games, watching movies, and singing.
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